Yoshimori Sumimura
Yoshimori Sumimura (墨村良守'', Sumimura Yoshimori'') is the protagonist of the Kekkaishi series. He attends the Karasumori Middle School by day, and carries out his duties as a demon exterminator (also known as kekkaishi) by night. He is the 22nd Kekkaishi of the Sumimura clan, and a protector of the sacred land of Karasumori, along with fellow Kekkaishi and childhood friend, Tokine Yukimura. Appearance Apart from the typical features of a young teenager, Yoshimori also has a number of distinctive traits. Among these, one of the most significant is the Houin on his left palm; a black square which indicates his status as the 22nd head of the Sumimura clan, and the Legitimate Successor. He is also known for his diminutive stature, although this is mostly seen when compared with Tokine, who, it must be noted, is two years his senior. He is short, has black spikey hair and brown eyes. Personality As a child, Yoshimori was distinguished for his weakness of spirit. Numerous flashbacks portray him as a boy who cried a lot. However, it can be noted that he would often enjoy himself when spending time with Tokine. It could be seen early on that he regarded his duties as a Kekkaishi with disdain.Kekkaishi anime, Episode 1 Constantly throughout the series, Yoshimori clashes with his grandfather, whose criticisms of the Yukimura clan lead to conflicts between the two. After Tokine saved Yoshimori from an ayakashi when he was nine, Yoshimori adopted a firmer attitude in regard to his responsibilities as a Kekkashi, and in protecting those around him. This is most evident in the extreme lengths he goes to in order to prevent Tokine from coming to any harm. Yoshimori, in example, stood by her as an ice ayakashi prepared to kill her. In spite of his general resentment of his older brother, Masamori, and for his grandfather, he is also shown to care for his family, as seen in his constant urges to assist the former in his various endeavors, and his defense of his ever-missing mother. Yoshimori is also irritable following nights on which he works as a Kekkaishi, which is juxtaposed with his pleasure in making others happy, as seen with his creation of a number of sweets, and, most notably, candy castles. His favorite drink is coffee milk. Every time Madarao or Tokine mention how he'll get sick from drinking coffee milk, he'll usually snap back or defend his love for the drink. He is often considered too considerate or "soft" (by Gen Shishio), especially when contrasted with Tokine's own often ruthless nature. On several occasions when others told him to let matters lie, such as with the ghost of the confectioner from early in the series, Yoshimori went to great lengths to aid others when there was no great benefit for himself, indicating a charitable spirit. Because of his long nights, Yoshimori constantly falls asleep during class (though Tokine doesn't have this problem). He always brings a pillow to school and often takes long naps on the rooftop. History Yoshimori was born the second or the middle son of Shuji and Sumiko Sumimura. Born with the Houin, the mark of the Legitimate Successor, he was predestined to lead the Sumimura clan as the 22nd Clan Head; the traditional protector of the sacred land of Karasumori. Although he was treated with some jealousy by his older brother Masamori due to being the Legitimate Successor, he grew up in the care of his father while his mother journeyed the world. As a member of the Sumimura clan, Yoshimori was always encouraged by his grandfather to avoid contact with the members of the Yukimura clan. In spite of this, he built and maintained a strong relationship with the Yukimura clan's own heir, Tokine. While Yoshimori was something of a crybaby as a child, Tokine was his closest friend, often protecting him from the things that scared him, such as vicious neighborhood dogs. She would also play games with him, once bringing fireworks to Karasumori for them to play with. This protective trait led to tragedy when he was nine years old. While on patrol, Tokine was severely wounded by an ayakashi, partially due to Yoshimori's inaction. Following this, Yoshimori began training rigorously to ensure that Tokine would never again come to harm. Plot 'Yomi Kasuga: Friend or Foe?' Yoshimori doesn't know what to make of Yomi Kasuga, a clumsy but well-meaning investigator from The Shadow Organization. It appears she was once a friend of Tokine's late father, and talks about him quite a bit. Sensing this might be a sensitive topic for Tokine, Yoshimori meets Yomi alone at Karasumori and asks her not to mention Tokio in front of her. This turns out to be the least of his problems, though: Yomi drugs his tea and ties him up, then has her ogre, Yoki, ambush Tokine when she arrives. Yomi reveals that her friendly persona was an act: she's actually come to Karasumori to increase Yoki's power in order to earn the respect of her clan, who made fun of her for Yoki's failures. She also hates Tokine's father for trying to comfort her. Tokine manages to avoid Yoki until Yoshimori wakes up and frees himself, but by then Tokine is largely exhausted. They try to separate Yomi from Yoki, but this turns out to be useless, since Yoki can understand Yomi's orders even if she doesn't speak them aloud. Tokine keeps an eye on Yomi while Yoshimori does his best to defeat Yoki alone. Unfortunately, Yoki taps into Karasumori's power and continues to grow stronger, eventually breaking his contract ring with Yomi and growing out of control. Yoshimori is impressed and grows more eager to fight, but the battle is interrupted by the arrival of Odo and Hakudo, two Shadow Organization members who have come to arrest Yomi for her betrayal. With assistance from Shigemori and Tokiko, Yoki is quickly destroyed. Yomi is heartbroken that Yoki is gone, but Yoshimori discovers that Yoki has regenerated, though he is now powerless and tiny enough to fit in Yomi's hand. Yomi realizes that she was wrong to hate Tokio for his kindness, and apologizes to Tokine before being taken away. 'Cabbages Before Dying' Yoshimori finds the ghost of a young man wandering outside of Karasumori Academy. Oddly enough, the ghost doesn't realize that he's dead, so Yoshimori warns him to stay away from the school and sends him to Mother-san, a psychic counselor who helps wandering ghosts pass on. Later that day, Yoshimori runs into the same ghost outside of a sweet shop. Despite Mother-san's counseling, the ghost has trouble believing that he's dead, but has been wondering why everyone but Yoshimori has been ignoring him. Yoshimori explains a kekkaishi's ability to see ghosts, and more importantly, their duty to destroy ghosts that linger around Karasumori, since they can transform and become dangerous, the same as ayakashi. However, the ghost recovers some of his memory: he recalls that he was a patissier, and that he was reaching for cabbages when he died. This excites Yoshimori, as he has a chance to get baking tips from a real pro, and the two become fast friends. They are interrupted by Tokine, who demands that the ghost pass on before he hurts someone. That night, Yoshimori and Tokine rush to the school after sensing a disturbance, only to find their ghost friend still hanging around. Hakubi confirms that the presence they sensed is still inside, so the ghost tags along. The kekkaishi find a ghost that has partially transformed. Instead of destroying him, Yoshimori disarms the ghost (literally), reminds him of the family he has left, and sends him to Mother-san with a stern warning not to return. While this should have been a good lesson in what happens to ghost who stay too long, all the patissier takes away from it is that Yoshimori is a nice guy that wouldn't hurt anyone unless he had to. Yoshimori realizes his ghost friend is enjoying the undead life way too much to pass on, and decides to discuss his case with Mother-san. They visit the bakery where the patissier worked and speak with the head chef. They learn that the ghost's name is Masahiko Tsukijigaoka, his younger brother Toshihiko runs their family snack food business, and that they lost their parents while very young. Masahiko was working on a cabbage-based desert when he died, but was also worried about his brother. Masahiko refuses to be reunited with his brother, afraid that Toshihiko hates him for abandoning the family business. Yoshimori forces Masahiko to come with him and Mother-san as they follow Toshihiko around town, and are surprised when he stops at the site of Masahiko's death. Yumeko approaches Toshihiko and tries to explain the situation, but he refuses to believe her and demands that they meet him in one day and prove they've met his brother's ghost. Masahiko decides to re-create the cake he made for his brother after their parents died (he told Toshihiko that they sent it from heaven). After numerous tries, the cake comes out right, but gets damaged in transit. Out of time, they present the ruined cake to Toshihiko. Amazingly, he recognizes the cake as Masahiko's work: this is the second time his brother has given him a cake from beyond the grave. Comforted, Toshihiko tells Masahiko not to worry about him, which allows Masahiko to finally pass on. 'Yurina's Sixth Sense' Yurina Kanda, Yoshimori's classmate, has been able to see supernatural beings for a while now. The problem is, she can't distinguish between ghosts and living people, which is a problem: she gets distracted by the ghost of a schoolgirl at a busy intersection, and is nearly hit by a car. Later, Yurina sees the same ghost at school, but this time Yoshimori is talking to it, and even able to touch it. Worried about what this might mean, Yurina follows Yoshimori and the ghost when they leave class, and she overhears him threatening to destroy the ghost (though only after she threatens to curse students). Yurina is now very afraid of Yoshimori. Yurina's friends Kyoko and Ayano plan to visit the school's cherry blossom tree, which blooms out of season, but the high school students have taken all the best spots. Yurina's friends decide to visit school after hours to see the tree, even though this is against the rules. Yoshimori overhears them and warns them not to come, though only Yurina is afraid of what he might do if they disobey him. That night, Yurina goes to school to meet her friends, only to run into an ayakashi. Yoshimori destroys it, but is surprised to see Yurina, since he blocked the front gate with a kekkai (Yurina came through the back). Tokine arrives, annoyed that Yoshimori let Yurina come, but in the next moment, a horde of ayakashi arrives. Yoshimori places Yurina under the tree and surrounds her with a kekkai to keep her safe. He and Tokine proceed to destroy the horde, unaware that Yurina can see the ayakashi, and is growing more and more afraid that they will destroy her next. Noticing how upset Yurina is, Madarao sniffs her and informs the kekkaishi that Yurina has a sixth sense, which allowed her to see everything. Yoshimori is shocked, and makes several bumbling attempts to comfort Yurina. This convinces her that he is a good person, and she agrees to keep the kekkaishi's nightly duties a secret. Yoshimori makes a shikigami to accompany her home, and Yurina keeps the used paper as a good luck charm. 'Hiwatari, the Freezing Foe' Yoshimori trains with a large boulder, trying to catch and hold it up with a small kekkai. Shigemori observes and brags that he was able to break open two boulders that size in his youth, making Yoshimori determined to do better. Yoshimori is still tired that night from training so hard, but goes to patrol Karasumori with Tokine anyway. They encounter Hiwatari, a small but swift ice-producing ayakashi. Hiwatari avoids their attacks at first, but when it is finally caught with a kekkai, escapes by shooting large ice shards that can even penetrate kekkai. Hiwatari hides in the school pool and freezes it over, remaining hidden beneath the ice. Yoshimori pounds the ice with kekkai, and when Hiwatari emerges, Tokine hits it with a kunai. This only angers Hiwatari, and he freezes Tokine's leg to the ground, then charges up a large ice shard to fire at her. Yoshimori protects her with several kekkai around themselves, but Hiwatari's ice is strong enough to break it. Tokine helps Yoshimori focus when creating the next kekkai, and together they are able to reflect Hiwatari's own attack back at it, defeating it. Yoshimori carries Tokine home on his back despite her protests. Inwardly, both reflect on the battle and decide that they need to become stronger. Tokine practices making many small kekkai at once in a precise formation. Yoshimori tries the boulder exercise again, but ends up launching the boulder high into the air and, being unable to catch it with a kekkai, letting it smash into the ground. In the process, the boulder breaks open, revealing an iron core that should have made it impossible to break in the first place, meaning Shigemori was lying about his strength all along. 'Teacher's Pets' Yoshimori senses an evil aura at school, and is soon approached by Yurina, who tells him about a suspicious teacher that she saw earlier. From the roof, they spot a girl passed out in the bushes, and Yurina mistakes her for Tokine. Yoshimori rushes to save her, only to find that it is Mao Shinohara instead, and that she's safe, though a bit confused. Yoshimori reassures Yurina, then tries to find Tokine so he can warn her. However, he spots her talking with Tatsumi Mino, a popular teacher. Yoshimori becomes jealous and tries to trip Mino with a kekkai, but is startled when his kekkai is quickly broken, and Mino stares in his direction. More concerned than ever, Yoshimori goes to Hiromu Tabata for information on Mino, but doesn't find out much. That night, Yoshimori debates how to warn Tokine about Mino without angering her, but can't come up with anything. He senses a presence at Karasumori Academy and rushes off, meeting Tokine on the way. He finally warns her, but is shocked when Tokine says she's been watching Mino (she means for suspicious activity, but Yoshimori thinks she's interested in dating him). Yoshimori misses the rest of the conversation, as he is too stunned by the "revelation" and numbly follows Tokine to school. They confront Mino inside, and discover he is controlling three female snakes, which he uses to attack people. Mino sends one snake to attack, while the other two stay nearby to defend him. Targeting Mino with kekkai also fails, as another snake blocks them from forming with her body. Yoshimori damages the lead snake, but it heals and grows larger. Hakubi notices that the snakes aren't ayakashi, but still smells one nearby. He and Tokine spot an ayakashi insect on the lead snake, but can't target it because of the snake's swift movements. Yoshimori holds the snake in place with his kekkai, allowing Tokine to destroy the insect. Freed from the ayakashi's influence, Mino shows deep regret for the people he's hurt, and begs the kekkaishi not to hurt his snakes. They agree, though Yoshimori and Hakubi instantly regret this when Mino begins to charmingly thank Tokine, proving that Yoshimori's instincts about Mino weren't totally wrong. 'Shiki's Shining Hour' Yoshimori offers Tokine his latest cake creation while on duty. Though she enjoys it, Tokine hides this by complaining that he should spend less time baking and more time training, which greatly upsets Yoshimori. At home, he is so depressed that he considers giving up baking. In an attempt to revive Yoshimori, Shuji recommends that he try the legendary chocolate cake sold by a local bakery. Unfortunately, Yoshimori has his kekkaishi duties during the sale, so he leaves a shikigami to hold his place in line. Some thugs show up and try to muscle their way in line, but after taking a beating from them, the shikigami defeats them and buys the cake. Yoshimori patrols Karasumori with Tokine as usual, but tires fast because he put so much energy into the shikigami. After some trouble, Yoshimori destroys the Fire Mole with a large kekkai, passing out right after. After waking up, he lets the reason for his exhaustion slip out, and Tokine becomes furious that he still doesn't consider his kekkaishi duties top priority. Yoshimori's troubles continue at home: despite claiming not to like the cake, Shigemori has eaten all of the extra pices, leaving none for Yoshimori. Yoshimori gets a chance to redeem himself with Tokine when she asks him to help her with a problem at her house. It turns out that both she and her grandmother are deathly afraid of cockroaches, and Tokine's mother, who usually gets rid of them, is away. Yoshimori comes up with a plan to use miniature shikigami to lure the bug out, but at the last moment, Tokine freaks out, shoving him so that the bug is squashed on his shirt. For some time afterward, Tokine won't go near Yoshimori, constantly replaying the scene in her mind. She finally works up the nerve to give Yoshimori a new shirt and a piece of the legendary cake that he missed out on, restoring his love of baking. 'Kouya: Madarao's Fierce Friend' The demon trio of Honetaro, Uhosuke, and Nagao invade Karasumori, though they end up as more of a comedy trio by how fast they're captured. But they turn out to be a distraction for their boss Kouya, who in turn is revealed to be Madarao's old friend. Though Madarao abandoned him to serve Tokimori Hazama, Kouya wants to be partners again. Madarao refuses, since he is firmly devoted to Tokimori, who asked him aid the Sumimura Clan. Kouya already hates humans for stealing his home and indirectly causing Madarao's death, but he has an especially strong hatred of Tokimori for ending the partnership between Kouya and Madarao. Enraged that Madarao would still serve that same human, Kouya attacks. Madarao realizes that in his sealed state, he is no match for Kouya's power, and asks Yoshimori to remove the seal around his neck. Though Shigemori has warned Yoshimori in the past that it is dangerous to remove Madarao's collar, Yoshimori does so, and Madarao's full power and natural form are restored. Madarao warns Yoshimori to stay out of the fight before facing Kouya. Kouya attacks with brute strength and speed, while Madarao relies on illusions and poisons to gradually weaken Kouya. Both take heavy damage and seem close to death, but Kouya draws on Karasumori's power to keep fighting. Yoshimori insults Madarao's pride to motivate him to fight, but insists on serving as a distraction so Madarao can deliver the finishing blow. Madarao is reluctant to kill Kouya, but Karasumori gives him the needed power to do so, and Kouya asks it of him as well. Yoshimori saves some of Kouya's fur so he can be given a proper burial. Shortly after, Madarao loses control due to Karasumori's power and begins to run wild. With help from Tokine and Hakubi, Yoshimori gathers the beads that make up Madarao's collar, strings them together with nenshi, and re-seals Madarao. 'Masamori, the Other Sumimura Brother' At Karasumori, Yoshimori is experimenting with kekkai and nenshi, accidentally creating a flying weapon that hits Hakubi. Tokine scolds Yoshimori, both for hitting Hakubi and not studying the kekkaishi scrolls. At home the next day, Yoshimori goes into his family's storeroom and takes some scrolls, but can't read them. Oddly enough, Toshimori can, but doesn't understand the techniques described. Yoshimori remembers that his older brother was denied access to the scrolls because he wasn't a Legitimate Successor. At Karasumori, Yoshimori and Tokine encounter Sasorigama, a scorpion ayakashi with a steel body that gets stronger each time he sheds, and a horrible scent. At first, the kekkaishi only find Sasorigama's discarded shells, while Madarao and Hakubi are reluctant to track him because he smells so badly. Meanwhile, Masamori arrives, using his landlord Kurohime to find the ayakashi, but chooses to observe for a while. Tokine discovers Sasorigama, but by then he has shed several times and overpowers her. Yoshimori comes to her rescue, but his kekkai are also destroyed. Sasorigama draws on Karasumori's power, becoming even stronger. Masamori finally intervenes, using multiple nenshi to bind Sasorigama's scythes and a five-layered kekkai to destroy the body. Masamori introduces Kurohime to Yoshimori and Tokine, and says that he'll be staying for a while, which excites Tokine and angers Yoshimori. At school, Yoshimori's friends are all curious about Masamori's return, but any mention of him just sends Yoshimori into a rage. Yoshimori goes home, and finds that Masamori wants to talk. At first, Masamori only teases Yoshimori about his crush on Tokine, but he finally gets down to business and lectures Yoshimori on his responsibilities. The conversation only leaves Yoshimori angrier and more resentful of his brother. Yoshimori finally gets a chance to escape Masamori when he patrols Karasumori Academy that night, but is annoyed that Tokine wants to discuss Masamori, anyway. While they search for ayakashi, a forest suddenly begins to spring up all around them. It is the work of a botanical ayakashi, but that means that someone purposely planted it. They try destroying the trees individually, but the trees grow back. Even worse, the trees bear exploding, poisonous fruit, the seeds from which sprout attacking tentacles. After a narrow escape, Yoshimori decides to surrond the whole forest with a huge kekkai, while Tokine starts a fire. Yoshimori's kekkai becomes unstable, so Tokine opens a hole in it with her own kekkai. The air that rushes in sets off a huge explosion, destroying the forest (and very nearly Masamori, who was watching nearby and protects himself with a kekkai). After clearing up the remnants of the forest, they realize that the mess is too great to handle alone, and send shikigami to their families requesting help. Tokiko, Shigemori, and Masamori arrive to help with the clean-up. Masamori is impressed by Yoshimori's power, but makes him think otherwise. While reparing the schoolyard, Yoshimori is scolded by his grandfather for being so reckless with his power. At school the next day, Yoshimori daydreams about ayakashi taking over the classroom, only to be awakened by his teacher, who makes him stand in the hallway with a bucket of water on his head. Yoshimori cheats by placing the bucket on a kekkai, which reminds him of how Masamori trained him the same way years ago. At Karasumori that night, Yoshimori and Tokine argue about Masamori. Tokine wonders what Yoshimori's problem with his brother is, and Yoshimori insists that Masamori is a bad guy. He adds that Masamori should have been the Legitimate Heir, but Tokine scolds him, knowing that would upset Masamori. Yoshimori tries to track Masamori, but according to Madarao, Masamori doesn't leave a scent to follow. Yoshimori spots Masamori standing on a kekkai high in the air, and tries to reach him, but isn't used to the jumps and stumbles several times. Yoshimori reveals his plan to seal Karasumori, so that they no longer have to guard it and it will never cause anyone to get hurt. Masamori agrees, but warns him it will be both extremely difficult and dangerous, considering that even Tokimori Hazama couldn't do it. Masamori leaves, but later Yoshimori feels his brother's power spreading over the land like an ocean. He chases down Masamori and demands to know what he's doing, but Masamori says he wouldn't understand. When Masamori decides to end his stay at home, Yoshimori asks him to bury Kouya's remains on the mountain he used to live on. 'Lord Uro's Broken Bed' Yoshimori senses an odd presence while in class, but it passes by quickly, and he decides not to investigate because there is no evil aura. Later he heads to the school roof for his usual nap, and finds the origin of the strange presence: Lord Uro and his servant Mamezo. Unsure of what they are, Yoshimori warns them to leave, but Mamezo explains that Lord Uro is looking for a kekkaishi, so Yoshimori takes them back to his house. Surprisingly, Shigemori knows exactly who Lord Uro is, and greets him as an honored guest. He explains that Lord Uro is a land lord that lives near Karasumori, and that it is a kekkaishi's duty to assist the god upon request. It seems that Lord Uro's bed is broken, and he needs a kekkaishi to fix it. Yoshimori bakes doughnuts for Lord Uro, and in return, the god tells him how Tokimori requested the land of Karasumori for his own use. Lord Uro falls asleep before Yoshimori can ask any questions. The next day, Lord Uro, Mamezo, Shigemori, and Yoshimori set out for the Colorless Swamp, Lord Uro's home. Lord Uro opens the path his hidden dimension and goes ahead. Shigemori warns Yoshimori that if he takes too long, he may lose his mind and forget everything. To prevent this, he writes the most important details on Yoshimori's hand and forearm. Shigemori opts to stay outside the dimension in case Yoshimori needs help from the other side, and Yoshimori follows Lord Uro. Yoshimori finds that Lord Uro's bed is actually a barrier sphere, maintained by an ancient box. The box is cracked, however, and Yoshimori realizes he must restore it to fix the barrier. The first attempt fails, so Yoshimori pours an enormous amount of power into the box, which fixes it but also dramatically increases the size of the barrier. Lord Uro is so pleased that he hops into the barrier, activating it but also putting Yoshimori in danger, since it was only intended for a god. Yoshimori finds it hard to breathe, but insists on asking Lord Uro about Karasumori despite Mamezo's protests. Yoshimori's desperation reminds Lord Uro of the great sadness in Tokimori when he requested the use of Karasumori. Mamezo forcibly ejects Yoshimori from the dimension to protect him, but his mind already seems to be suffering the effects of prolonged exposure: he cannot seem to remember who he is. Yoshimori thinks he hears Tokine calling to him, and reaches for her, only to be grabbed by Shigemori, who pulls him to safety. The incident leaves growing doubt in Yoshimori's mind about Karasumori's origins, and he chooses not to share the details of his adventure with Tokine. 'Little Brother's Little Secret' Yoshimori welcomes Toshimori home from school, and finds he's brought two friends (Gatcho and Konta) along for tutoring. Both are a little afraid of Yoshimori, because of the horror stories Toshimori has told them about his "evil" older brother (this was an attempt at making them behave). But the actual Yoshimori is so mild-mannered by comparison that they instantly see through Toshimori's stories, and end up being nuisances around the house. Toshimori loses his cool and accidentally knocks them out with a kekkai, then turns to Yoshimori for help. Yoshimori helps him take care of his friends until they wake up. Tokine comes over with food that her mother made for the boys, but sees a cockroach in the kitchen and ends up tossing curry all over them instead. Yoshimori helps her clean up, and Toshimori is surprised when his friends tell him that not only did they have a great time, but that they think Yoshimori is cool (largely because he gave them sweets). 'Gen Shishio, A Troubling Comrade' Yoshimori and Tokine warn Tatsumi Mino that ayakashi disguised as humans may sneak into the school, and that he should report anything suspicious to them. Yoshimori and Tokine continue to discuss the ayakashi, and Yoshimori insists that Tokine call him (as opposed to Mino) if she finds one. Tokine realizes that he is maturing and no longer a crybaby. Yurina, having noticed a new student that smells like blood, drags Yoshimori up to the roof between classes to tell him about it. Unfortunately, Yoshimori repeatedly asks her to tell him about it later in a dull, robotic tone and walks away. Before he can get back to class, he is grabbed by the same new student, who also drags him outside. Yoshimori gives him the same treatment, but the new student loses his temper and brutally punches Yoshimori into a wall, revealing him to be a shikigami. On the roof, Yoshimori sits up in alarm as he feels his shikigami destroyed. Both he and Tokine then feel an evil aura at the same spot and rush to the scene, only to find a set of huge claw marks in the wall. They both stick around to restore the damaged wall. Yoshimori is concerned because the shikigami was supposedly a major improvement over his usual ones, and confused because he felt the evil aura after the shikigami was destroyed, as if the ayakashi wanted to be found. Yoshimori leaves Tokine to repair the wall and rushes off, sending out several shikigami birds to track down the ayakashi. Yoshimori comes across a group of high schoolers that have been beaten up, and learns that a transfer student is the culprit. One of the shikigami spots the new kid harassing Mino, and Yoshimori rushes to help. Mino is alone when Yoshimori reaches him, but confirms that the student had amazing power and knew that Mino had power as well. Yoshimori senses another shikigami being destroyed and runs off. Two more shikigami are snatched from the air before Yoshimori spots the student on a nearby rooftop. After destroying the shikigami, the student runs, and Yoshimori chases him, with Tokine joining the chase soon after. Suddenly, the new student turns and attacks. Yoshimori barely dodges the first few blows, but is quickly overwhelmed. He manages to trap the student in a kekkai, but the student's hand transforms into a large wolf claw. Tokine arrives just in time to see the student tear through the kekkai with no effort. He introduces himself as Gen Shishio, a Night Troop member sent to assist them. However, he is greatly disappointed in their lack of skill. Yoshimori refuses to believe Gen's claims of being from the Night Troop, and accuses him of being an ayakashi. Gen calls Masamori on his cellphone, then gives it to Yoshimori as proof. Masamori confirms Gen's story, but Yoshimori still doesn't like Gen's attitude. Tokine scolds them both for making a scene at school. Yoshimori returns to class and asks Hiromu for info on Gen. Hiromu doesn't know much, but reports that lots of girls like wild boys like Gen, which only makes Yoshimori angrier. Yurina tries to talk to Yoshimori about Gen, concerned he might be a threat, but Yoshimori's mood worsens and he scares her away. Yoshimori goes home, but Gen is there, planning to introduce himself to Shigemori. Yoshimori tries to kick him out, but Shuji scolds him for being rude. Yoshimori is still mad about Gen that evening at Karasumori, and Madarao agrees (but only because he doesn't care for Gen's looks). Tokine insists that they at least get to know Gen better before making up their minds about him, but Yoshimori is more worried that she might become interested in dating Gen. They sense an ayakashi, but after Yoshimori fails to capture it, Gen rips it apart in just a few seconds. Yoshimori demands that since Gen is assisting them, he not do anything without consulting a kekkaishi first. Gen replies that kekkaishi are supposed to be the most powerful ability users, but that Yoshimori and Tokine are weak. Gen destroys yet another ayakashi that escapes Yoshimori, then leaps away. Yoshimori is about to chase him, but Tokine stops him and scolds him for not cleaning up the mess that Gen left. Yoshimori points out that Gen always leaves them to clean up the messes he makes, then gets in a fight with Madarao for pointing out the exact number of times it's happened. At school, Yoshimori and Gen pass each other without speaking (though Yoshimori glares at Gen's back). At Karasumori that night, Yoshimori plots to attack Gen, but Madarao reminds him that he has bigger issues to worry about. Madarao leads Yoshimori into the school, where they find Ookubiguruma, a rolling ayakashi with retractable spikes that rips through the first kekkai easily. Yoshimori can only dodge until Gen arrives, and he manages to match the ayakashi's rotation speed and force it outside. but Ookubiguruma reveals its spikes while Gen is clinging to it, slashing him deeply. Yoshimori takes over for Gen, and keeps using kekkai until he finds the perfect amount of strength to slow the ayakashi down, so he can hit it with another kekkai. Seeing this, Gen realizes that Yoshimori is a rare type of fighter than can change his techniques in the middle of a battle. Yoshimori is surprised when Gen returns to fight despite having been injured. Hakubi reveals that Gen is part ayakashi, and his body heals much faster as a result. Yoshimori overhears Ookubiguruma mention a bounty on his head. He drives the ayakashi into the school so it has less room to move, then uses a kekkai to keep it from spinning until he destroys it. Hakubi and Gen suspect that the bounty must only be on kekkaishi, and Yoshimori figures the same ayakashi group is behind it. Gen tries to leave without cleaning up, but after getting protests from Yoshimori and Tokine, admits that he only knows how to destroy. Tokine lets him go, but is more hopeful that they can get along in the future. Yoshimori finds Gen relaxing in his favorite rooftop napping place the next day, and they reluctantly share the space. They begin to discuss Gen being part ayakashi: Gen only notes the downside, but all Yoshimori can see are the benefits. Though they don't agree, it's one of the first real conversations they've had since Gen's arrival. Yoshimori is having trouble dealing with Inoushi Boar Bull's power when Gen swoops in and slashes it to pieces. In a fit of jealousy, Yoshimori shouts that Gen will never get any girls if he keeps stealing, but Gen ignores him. Oddly enough, Yoshimori soon finds out from Yurina that a girl is interested in Gen: her friend Aoi Shinagawa. Despite having gone to the same elementary school with her and Yurina, Yoshimori doesn't remember her well. He does agree that a violent person like Gen is no good for a nice girl like Aoi, though this is more because he can't believe any girl would like Gen. That night, Yoshimori encounters Youkyokusai, an ayakashi that uses magic tricks. Gen is captured right away, so Yoshimori distracts the ayakashi while Tokine frees Gen. Gen forces Youkyokusai to retreat, while the kekkaishi box him in with kekkai, only leaving room for him to escape directly into the path of Gen's final attack. At school the next day, Yoshimori watches Gen reject Aoi after she presents him with her sketchbook, full of drawings of Gen. Yoshimori later asks why Gen couldn't be nicer to her, but Gen simply replies that anyone would hate him once they found out what he was. Yoshimori doesn't agree, since as much as he dislikes Gen, he also doesn't hate him. 'Tokine Takes Charge' Yoshimori fails to catch another ayakashi before Gen destroys it easily, prompting the usual argument. Tokine is distracted by the fight, and is nearly attacked from behind by another ayakashi, but Gen destroys that one as well. Gen leaves the clean up to Yoshimori and Tokine, but Yoshimori follows him and insists that he at least treat Tokine more respectfully. Gen can't understand why Yoshimori is sticking up for her, since their families are supposed to hate each other. The next day, Yoshimori and Tokine argue on the way to school, with the end result being that Yoshimori is depressed throughout the day. He and Gen meet on the school roof, where Gen admits he can't understand why Yoshimori likes Tokine. Predictably, Yoshimori gets upset, but he can't explain it, either. Yoshimori and Tomonori learn from Hiromu that a local idol, Kimiya Hachioji, is visiting their school. Yoshimori has no interest, until he sees Kimiya leaving with Tokine. Extremely jealous, Yoshimori follows them, with Hiromu and Tomonori tagging along. Both Hiromu and Tomonori think Tokine and Kimiya must be dating, which Yoshimori angrily denies. A group of overexcited runs by, convincing Yoshimori's friends to ditch him, and Yoshimori himself has lost sight of Tokine and Kimiya. Luckily, he spots Gen nearby and asks him to track Tokine by scent. It turns out that Gen has been following her all along. Yoshimori becomes more depressed as he sees Tokine and Kimiya first holding hands, and then Kimiya carrying her bridal style as he leaps over rooftops. This immediately makes Gen more concerned, but Yoshimori is too busy sulking to pick up on it. They follow Tokine and Kimiya to an abandoned building, where Kimiya is revealed to be possessed by the ayakashi Nouotoko (Brain Man), which has the power to draw out hidden abilities. Tokine followed Kimiya only because Nouotoko threatened to take his life. Yoshimori misses most of this, still thinking that Tokine is on a date, until Gen points out the ayakashi. Nouotoko demands that Tokine surrender her body to him, so that he can learn more about kekkaishi and Karasumori, and collect a reward from Kokuboro, a group of ayakashi that are targeting the site. Nouotoko makes the mistake of saying that he chose Tokine because she was the weakest, which angers her into attacking him relentlessly while Yoshimori and Gen watch in shock. Tokine squeezes some more info out of Nouotoko before destroying him. Having learned that Tokine likes guys taller than her, Yoshimori is determined to sleep more, which he hopes will help him grow. Yoshimori isn't having much luck patrolling Karasumori, as Gen and Tokine keep taking his prey before he can destroy them. He finally decides to get a bird's eye view, and positions himself on a kekkai high above the ground. This allows him to spot an ayakashi, but in the process of destroying it, he falls into the school pool and catches a cold. Unable to get up the next day, Yoshimori stays home from school in his father's care. However, that night he goes to Karasumori, heavily bundled and sneezing, and manages to save Tokine from Kokuboro's Hisui. This heroic act doesn't spare him from being scolded by his grandfather, though. 'Kokuboro' As Kokuboro launched its grand attack on Karasumori, Yoshimori was looking for revenge on Kaguro (a member of Kokuboro), who had killed Gen Shishio. During the fight, Yoshimori left Karasumori upon seeing Kaguro. Tokine follows him, but keeps a distance away from him. After chasing Kaguro's skin disguise, Yoshimori finds Shion, who is supposed to return to Kokuboro with 2 Kekkaishi and was using the disguise Kaguro used before. Yoshimori purposely gets captured by her to get to Kokuboro (and Kaguro, ultimately). Sen Kagemiya, who had followed Yoshimori, is captured by accident. Shion decides to tell Byaku that Kagemiya is also a kekkaishi, in order to get her job done quickly. Tokine, who sees Yoshimori fly away with Shion, separately follows by grabbing onto a fleeing ayakashi. However, Tokine ends up at the outskirts of Kokuboro, rather than at the main gates where Yoshimori is taken to. Hakubi returns with Madaro to tell Shigemori the news, as both cannot move beyond Karasumori's grounds. When Shigemori gets back from defending Karasumori, Madarao and Hakubi tells him the news about Yoshimori and Tokine. So Shigemori, along with the Night Troops, move to go after them by using Shizue Yukimura's skills at opening a portal to Kokuboro. At Kokuboro, Shion attempts to control Yoshimori by using her spider puppet skills. Yoshimori unknowingly creates a small zekkai around him, which repels Shion's forces. So she attempts to drop a boulder on him, which forces him to direct zekkai energy on it, draining him of power. Before the process is complete, Heisuke Matsudo comes in and rescues Yoshimori with Kagami, but forces Yoshimori not to go after Byaku. Yoshimori proceeds to finding Kagemiya, but his efforts are useless so far. Soon Yoshimori finds Princess, but thinks she is a prisoner like him and Kagemiya. He frees her, and in return she grants Yoshimori a power, including how to navigate around the castle and find Kagemiya. When he does, Kagemiya feels he is being saved like how Shishio used to do to him, so he offers to help find Kaguro for Yoshimori. By using his powers, by the time Tokine finds Yoshimori, he sets off to kill Kaguro. Kaguro and Yoshimori engage in the fight - Yoshimori with his incomplete zekkai and Kaguro with his sword powers. Yoshimori loses his advantage of the new zekkai because Kaguro simply increases his sword’s powers, as the previous ones break apart. At this point, Tokine and Kagemiya inform Yoshimori of this. As Yoshimori prepares to sacrifice himself to protect others, Kagemiya shields Yoshimori with a broken shard of Kaguro's sword. At this point, Yoshimori unleashes a brand new type of zekkai. This zekkai instantly destroyed Kaguro, giving Kaguro a warm feeling of life as he dies, but puts Yoshimori in a coma like state with Kagemiya awake inside. Right as this happens, Shigemori and the Night Troops arrive. Tokine, who gets rescued by the Night Troops by one of their member's creatures, uses her skill at reading wavelengths of kekkai to jump into the new zekkai and wake Yoshimori up. Masamori, who tried to break open Yoshimori's zekkai with his own, immediately gathers Kagemiya, Yoshimori, and Tokine, and narrowly escapes from Kokuboro as its dimension crumbles. When Yoshimori awakes, Tokine slaps him for not caring enough for himself. Power and Abilities Hazama-Ryu Kekkai technique: Yoshimori's primary ability. His abnormally high power levels, coupled with his penchant for blunt, borderline haphazard attacks, means that his use of the Hazama style is marked by larger, more impressive kekkai than his colleague Tokine is generally able to produce. Through training, he has managed to dramatically improve his precision, though his style still tends to favor brute force over finesse. In addition to the classic Hazama-style Kekkai technique, Yoshimori has become adept with a potent, albeit imperfect, zekkai barrier that manifests as a black-colored flaming aura that surrounds Yoshimori and eliminates all other presences within it.Kekkaishi anime, Episode 50 In times of great stress, Yoshimori has also proven capable of summoning a rare and potent shinkai barrier that manifests itself as a bright white spherical aura extending around Yoshimori at the center.Kekkaishi anime, Episode 51 Shinkai is distinct in that, unlike ketsu, which merely separates the inside from the outside, and zekkai, which rejects foreign entities, shinkai creates a sphere inside of which Yoshimori is able to control reality, rejecting that which he wants removed and maintaining (perhaps even restoring, in Hiura Souji's case) that which he wants preserved. Tokimori Hazama has explained that shinkai is "the first step of the first step" in creating a new world.Kekkaishi manga, Chapter 300 Since completing his training in the Sumimura family well, Yoshimori has mastered a perfect Musou (blank) state, which completely shuts down his conscious mind and separates his powers from his emotions, using the resulting focus to dramatically increase his speed, precision, reflexes and power. This allows him to produce seemingly indestructible kekkai in large numbers without any signs of fatigue or strain. While in this state, Yoshimori summons a familiar, or landlord, to maintain his connection to his heart. His landlord, Shiguma, takes the form of a striped cube that morphs into various animal and humanoid shapes.Kekkaishi manga, Chapter 266 Shiguma can also relay Yoshimori's subconscious thoughts to his conscious mind, thus allowing the conscious Yoshimori to understand and analyze the world around him in ways he never could otherwise. As part of Yoshimori, though, Shiguma shares his taste for brute force at the expense of subtlety. Okuni reveals to Masamori that Yoshimori is an extremely rare human being that is compatible with Chushinmaru Karasumori, who can share his massive spirit reservoir that has the potential power to destroy the world, with Yoshimori.Kekkaishi manga, Chapter 273 It has become clear that Yoshimori shares an uncommon affinity with Chushinmaru. The child-like Karasumori is drawn to Yoshimori's brashness and brute power, presumably finding it entertaining. Because of this relationship, and when it suits him, Chushinmaru is capable of funneling his own power into Yoshimori, significantly augmenting his already considerable strength. Since their departure from Karasumori Academy, Yoshimori has begun carrying Chushinmaru, contained within a round jewelKekkaishi manga, Chapter 290, in a pouch around his neck.Kekkaishi manga, Chapter 298 Yoshimori is currently training under Tokimori Hazama, so that he can eventually seal the young lord's enormous power for good. Hazama himself has commented that, when he is in Karasumori's presence, Yoshimori is nigh unbeatable.Kekkaishi manga, Chapter 297 Trivia *Though it is unknown how much energy Yoshimori has, he was once able to cover the entire courtyard of Karasumori Academy (which had been overgrown by a forest) in a giant kekkai, and wasn't tired afterward.Kekkaishi anime, Episode 14 *On the night that Tokine was injured by Yumigane, Yoshimori was wearing a white version of kunai holsters that Tokine does, but that is the only time he's ever seen with them. *Yoshimori was fighting ayakashi even before he began elementary school.Kekkaishi manga, Chapter 126 Oddly enough, if Tokio Yukimura had survived, he wouldn't have allowed Tokine to begin until she was in junior high.Kekkaishi manga, Chapter 8 References Category:Characters Category:Sumimura Family